OU, like every institution in this country, will continue to be challenged even as the pandemic eases. But our Gaylord family of faculty, staff and students has confronted an unprecedented experience – and hopefully will be stronger for it.
Change is at hand at Gaylord College and OU, with more to come later this year.
Vaccinations are under way for our university community, a year after COVID-19 struck campus and everything else in American life. And with every shot in an arm comes more confidence that the worst for our alma mater is soon to be over.
Consider:
-- The current classroom schedule is a mix of in person, hybrid and online instruction. It’s been in place since the start of the fall semester last August and will remain that way through summer classes this year. But the expectation now is for fall 2021 to look much like normal. Masking and physical distancing may still be the norm, but many of the other aspects of a fall semester on our beautiful campus will return to normal.
And speaking of welcome: The Sooners will play to full capacity in 2021, starting with the first home game Sept. 11.
-- One of many rituals missing over the past year has been graduation ceremonies. Convocations at Gaylord College are a big deal, with old fashioned pomp and circumstance that we know our graduates crave. We at Gaylord staged virtual convocations in spring and fall 2020, but certainly they weren’t the same as doing them in person, with appreciative families and friends on hand.
But better news for graduates this spring: OU will stage convocations for Gaylord and other colleges in the stadium over a weekend in mid-May. And graduates from a year ago, whose convocations were scrapped, are invited to return and participate.
-- We’re working hard at Gaylord to bring in another strong freshmen class. Recruiting has been challenging the past year, as prospective students and their families have been reluctant to come to campus during the pandemic. So we’ve had to be more creative in our outreach to them. Fortunately, OU is expecting a large number of freshmen this fall, and we are working with the Office of Admissions and Recruitment to try to ensure those new students know of Gaylord’s many opportunities.
There’s good news elsewhere. For example, we have five searches ongoing for new faculty, to replace those who’ve left but also adding to our ranks. Included are two positions focused on our new online master’s degree in strategic communication and digital strategy.
Which, by the way, has been a huge hit: A full class of 30 students in our first semester this spring, with another large cohort expected for the summer term. And fall recruiting for the degree is going well too. (Interested? Here’s the link: https://www.ou.edu/online/degrees-and-certificates/strat-comm)
It’s been quite a year since we reverted almost overnight to a closed campus and totally remote instruction. As you can imagine, the mental toll on everyone, particularly students, is real. OU, like every institution in this country, will continue to be challenged even as the pandemic eases. But our Gaylord family of faculty, staff and students has confronted an unprecedented experience – and hopefully will be stronger for it.